Newmai News Network
Imphal, Feb 2: A sit-in demonstration staged in Imphal on Friday pressed the Manipur state government and the central government to exempt income tax and all forms of loan interest for the people of Manipur affected by the ongoing violence.
The demonstration was staged under the joint aegis of Meetei/Meitei Tribe Union (MTU), Meitei Pangal Welfare Organization and Awang Sekmai Advance Women’s Society in Imphal’s Keishampat Junction.
It was staged under the banner “open appeal to state and Central governments for exemption of income tax and all forms of loan interest.”
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Placards read as “Exempt loan interest and income tax,” “Write off load amount for displaced people,” etc were displayed during the demonstration.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the demonstration, MTU secretary (administration) Mutum Churamani said owing to the more than eight month long crisis, people from almost all sections of society were severely affected.
People who availed loans from various schemes like vehicle loans, start-up loans under MSME scheme, housing loans, agricultural loans, education loans, etc. through banks could not pay the interest of the loans they availed, he said.
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Employees of both the state government and the central government are also facing difficulties in paying income tax asthey have to contribute a major share of their monthly salaries to providing help and assistance to the people displaced by the ongoing crisis who are staying in relief camps, he also said.
People running businesses with loans availed from banks are also facing difficulties in repayment of the loan amounts with interest as the crisis has been giving a great impact to normal business transactions, he added.
Among them, the most sufferers are those loanees whose houses and business establishments were torched or vandalized. As of now they have no means to pay interest on the loan amount they availed of, he further said.
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Small-time entrepreneurs cannot continue their business, as the market has almost collapsed.
Transporters who availed loans in purchasing their vehicles, either passenger buses or goods trucks, are unable to repay the loan which they have to pay back with interest since their services on the national highways remained suspended owing to the crisis, the secretary also said.
In short, he asserted, there were none not affected by the protracted crisis and those who availed loans from banks are the hardest hit.
Considering the extreme hardships being faced by the people, particularly by those who availed loans, the state government as well as the Centre should exempt loan interest besides extending the maturity period.
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He further demanded that the loans availed by the displaced people who are currently staying in relief camps should be waived off by the government.
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